2G4 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 18, 1884. 
fine decorative variety. When well grown it is most useful for cutting 
for home and cburch decoration where white flowers are largely used. It 
sfine for the mixed border when associated with the Juarezi variety, its 
colour being very telling, and if Mr. Welch procures strong plants, plants 
them in good soil with a liberal addition of manure, waters freely during 
summer, and keeps the shoots well tied up, I think he then will have little 
cause to complain. Has he treated it thus ?— E. Molyneux. 
THOUGHTS ON CURKENT TOPICS. 
I THOUGHT w’hen I saw my “ thoughts ” in print a fortnight 
ago that there was “too much of a good thing.” I am simply 
expressing in a familiar sentence what I feel must have been the 
opinions of others, and have no desire to judge my own work 
and pronounce it “ good.” Honestly speaking, I was surprised 
by the quantity and disappointed in the quality of my jerky 
production—so different does matter appear when printed than 
when it runs direct from the pen on a sheet of foolscap. 
However I will not be dismayed, but will “ think ” again. 
It will be proper, I think, to first refer to those who have 
referred to me, and thus I come in contact once more with “An 
Old Gardener.” I am obliged to remark that, like some other 
controversialists, he has based his argument (page 234) on a 
fallacy. If he will do me the honour to refer again to my 
“ thought ” on page 210, he will find that I did not even remotely 
suggest that the blossom of fruit trees is rendered more hardy 
by the ripening of the wood. I referred to the formation of 
blossom buds alone as likely to be the result of the hot summer. 
Time will prove whether this is so or not, and I confidently await 
the issue. In the meantime I may as well say what I think on 
the subject in question, and that is, I like to see the w od of my 
fruit trees ripe in the autumn, for the simple reason that I then 
feel one important point is secured towards a crop of fruit. 
If the blossom of sound ripe wood is not more hardy than 
that produced by immature shoots, are not the organs of fructi¬ 
fication often perfect in the former case and imperfect in the 
latter? If that aspect of the question is thought about we shall 
perhaps find a reconciliation of the conHicting statements of 
two writers, one of whom intimates that old orchard trees are 
fruitful, while younger trees in gardens are barren, while the 
other states “ the young trees have it all their own way.” Here 
is the sequel. If the old trees are much stunted and enfeebled 
there is little or no pollen on the anthers, and what little there is 
is weak ; but young trees well managed—that is, not over- 
luxuriant, have the wood ripened, and the pollen is abundant 
and sti’ong. We thus see, or at least I think we ought to see, 
that a certain amount of vigour must accompany maturation for 
trees to be in a satisfactory bearing state. This subject opens a 
wide field for thought, and I must leave it open for occupation 
by others who can indulge in mental exercise on a matter of 
great importance. _ 
I HAVE another difficulty to meet, a lime-and-chalk difficulty, 
but before tackling it I have a “ crow to pull ” with “ R. P, B.” 
on the subject of Apples. I find no fault with what he says on 
page 212; it is to what he does not say that I wish to draw 
attention. When a person who evidently knows what he is 
writing about states that “ the only dessert Apples worth grow¬ 
ing are one or two such as Irish Peach and Devonshire Quai'- 
renden,” I think he should at least either indicate the district 
from which he writes, or state the prevailing climatical con¬ 
ditions of the locality. For aught we Inow to the conti’ary he 
may be near an Irish bog; on a Scotch ben (mountain); or in a 
Devonshire dingle. Such statements as that cited, I think, 
need qualification to render them of service to general readers 
and inexperienced cultivators. Other writers err in the same 
way. They are either reticent or forgetful, hence the full signi¬ 
ficance of this communication is not comprehended by all. 
Now to the lime-and-chalk questions of “ A Learner.” I 
thought when I read the little note on page 238 that it conveyed 
an excellent hint to persons not to write about matters that they 
do not understand, for there is no knowing what questions may 
be asked, and some of them may not be easy to answer. In this 
instance i feel a little difficulty in crushing an intelligible reply 
into a few inches of space, and I am no hand at long articles. 
In the first place I must inform your correspondent that lime 
can be converted into chalk as easily as chalk into lime, and a 
gi’eat deal cheaper; for in the latter case fire;must be employed, 
while in the former the air will effect the transformation. Chalk 
is carbonate of lime, and is composed of about 45 parts of 
carbonic acid and 55 of lime. When chalk is burnt the carbonic 
acid is driven off and we have pure lime. If this lime is exposed 
to the air it absorbs carbonic acid, and n cessarily becomes 
carbonate of lime again, or chalk. That is, I think, a fact. 
Another fact is—and this I had in view when I jotted down 
my thought for applying chalk to Peach tree borders—that as 
this ingredient does not abound everywhere, ordinary lime can 
be converted into chalk simply by exposure. Limestone and 
chalk in their normal state are both composed of lime and carbonic 
acid in nearly the same proportions, hence lime that is made 
from the former is identical with that from the latter. This is 
perhaps what “A Learner” and others have not fully com¬ 
prehended, but again I think it is a fact. 
We have now to consider that carbonate of lime is an 
essential food of plants. It is found in the ashes of nearly all 
of them. In trees it especially abounds — that is, when it is 
present in the soil in which they are growing, and probably nine 
trees out of ten do not get enough of it, while it is certain that 
thousands do not get half suflBcient, and among these I suspect 
are the Peach trees that failed to bear because not lifted 
annually. _ 
But if chalk—that is, carbonate of lime, is so good, why 
burn ir, as is the practice for applying to the land ? There are 
two fundamental reasons for that. Freshly slaked lime being 
finely divided can be far better incorporated with the soil than 
lumps of chalk can; and, further, the action of lime as a manure 
is very much quicker than chalk is, because it acts as a solvent 
of vegetable and mineral matters in the soil, rendering them 
immediately available as food for plants. For Potatoes and 
general farm and garden crops lime is far preferable to chalk, as 
it is also for many fruit trees ; but when 1 read of Peaches that 
are lifted and given fresh soil annually, I always think turfy 
loam is used, and if it is and does not contain 10 per cent, of 
chalk there is certainly a preponderance of vegetable matter, and 
to add lime that matter would be dissolved the quicker and the 
trees would grow the stronger—just what we des re to avoid; 
hence I think in such a case chalk finely divided is the proper 
substance to employ. I now think the questions of “A Learner” 
are answered; if not, and he will point out any omissions, I will 
try again. 
Another practical question arises—namely, how are we to 
determine whether a Peach tree border, or any other border, is 
deficient in chalk or not ? as I think the soil is in the case pre¬ 
viously referred to. The matter may be tested in this way. 
Take a portion of soil from about the roots o£ the trees, dry it 
in an oven, then to every ounce of soil add slowly 2 o:^8. of 
muriatic acid (spirit of salts); if the soil contains chalk the 
mixture will effervesce by the expulsion of carbonic acid, while if 
there is no effervescence there will be no chalk, and that will be 
proof positive that the soil is deficient in one of the most 
essential ingredients for the support of the trees. Without 
cai’bonate of lime in their composition— and it cannot be there if 
it is not first in the soil—Peach trees will extend freely enough 
but they will be apt to cast their buds, and if the fruit sets it 
will be liable to fail during the stoning period. 
Tet another thought. Supposing the soil of the Peach 
border is shown to contain no chalk, how much ai'e we to give ? 
I should apply at once at least Id per cent., mixing it with the soil, 
and twice that quantity w'ould do no harm. There is mrrch more 
than that in the best pasture lands and fruit-growing soils in 
Kent and other places ; and move also in the ash of Peach trees 
when the roots get all they need. This subject is worth further 
thought by all whom it concerns, and I will leave them to think 
about it, as I feel I have done my share at present. 
I THOUGHT when I read Mr. Ward’s excellent and exhaustive 
article on Pines a fortnight ago, that every young gardener 
ought to make himself master of the process described. Pine 
Apple culture may yet become fashionable, while hundreds of 
young men know nothing about it. As an old Pine-grower, 
there were two points in the article that I stumbled over; the 
first was I2.inch pots for fruiters. Are not 10-inch pots 
just as good? and if not, why ? Next, I thought 8 ozs. of soft- 
soap to a gallon of water would nearly make jelly. Has the 
writer of the article or the printer made any mistake ? I should 
have thought halt the quantity of softsoap ample, and shall not 
try the double dose until I hear further about the matter. 
Some useful hints having recently been given on destroying 
